Rolling-element bearing cages are often used for guiding and spacing rolling elements in a rolling-element bearing. A variety of conventional rolling-element bearing cages are known for this purpose. There are conventional rolling-element bearing cages that include two side rings disposed in the circumferential direction. These side rings can be connected to each other via a variety of bridges. A pocket is formed between each two bridges and the side rings. A rolling element can be received in each pocket.
For installing in a rolling-element bearing, such rolling-element bearing cages are usually first fitted with the rolling elements. The rolling-element bearing cage is often first mounted on an inner ring. Many inner rings include a flange. When the rolling-element bearing cage fitted with the rolling elements is then to be mounted on the inner ring including the flange, the rolling elements and the side ring must then be drawn or pushed over the flange. In many cases the flange has a diameter that is larger than a diameter on which the central axis of the rolling elements are held in the rolling-element bearing cage. Therefore many conventional bearing cages are expanded for mounting. For this purpose the closed bearing cage is usually stretched in the radial direction. After the mounting the side ring is contracted again or taken in again. Special tools are usually required for this purpose.
With cages having a large diameter the expanding and taking-in is not possible or possible only with great difficulty. Large rolling-element bearings can have, for example, an outer diameter over 500 mm or even over 1000 mm. Therefore in many conventional large rolling-element bearings, rolling-element bearing cages in a snap-in design are used. Here they can be, for example, so-called H-cages. However, the manufacture of such rolling-element bearing cages can be relatively complex. In addition, the assembly can also be complex or even difficult. Reasons for this can be, for example, a large mass of the cage and the snap-in design.